Degree: Electrical Engineering, BASc 2014, MASc 2019
LinkedIn: Takin Tadayon
What are you doing now and how does your engineering education from Waterloo help with your life today?
I'm a machine learning engineer, currently working for a company that specializes in developing the next generation of autonomous civilian drones. The experiences that I have gained over the years as part of my Waterloo experience has helped me reach higher and further in the tech world.
Looking back on my experience at Waterloo is always bittersweet. It was a challenging time from many respects, but I will never forget my time there. It has also enabled me to be a more resilient version of myself. While this can be said of any university experience, I think Waterloo is unique. It's not the specific trials and triumphs that make the university special. It's the individuals with whom you grow and learn. It's being allowed to have the space and opportunity for growth that makes Waterloo special.
Why did you decide to be a part of REAC?
REAC allows me the opportunity to craft a better version of Waterloo. The members have all gone through similar experiences at the university and then gone on to experience the world beyond our campus. That enables us to find out what worked, what didn't and to help improve the experiences of the next generation of engineers.
What is a favourite piece of advice or quote that you would be interested in sharing?
The further away I get from the university experience, the more I appreciate those who encouraged me to try new things and pushed me out of my comfort zone. This means that my favorite piece of advice is a variation of "there's nothing worse than never having tried" and "there's no place in history for those who never tried at all".
What was your favourite place to eat at in Waterloo?
I'm dating myself by this reference but it used to be China Legend. Cheap, quick, unhealthy food. I guess nowadays it'd have to be one any of the places that has cheap wings.
What are your plans for the near future?
I'm not sure yet but I'm actively considering doing a PhD. I want to grow in my field of artificial intelligence. It's an exciting time for the field right now. There's breakthroughs every month. If you're reading a paper on the subject, it may already be outdated. I have always loved research and being part of a research effort. So that means I may take the plunge and just go for it.
Finally, do you have any fun and/or interesting media recommendations? Could be a book, song, movie, documentary, videogame, etc.
"Madly Deeply" is the diaries of Alan Rickman that was posthumously published. A dear friend of mine gifted me a copy and I have loved every minute that I spent reading that book. Game-wise I have really enjoyed the most recent iterations of Assassin's Creed games, especially the Odyssey version.